The Lightning Bolt
by ReginaQueenofHogwarts
Summary: Cassy doesn't fit in. She never has. But when her crush notices her broomstick designs, they grow ever closer. Could this be the beginning of something more? Or is it just a horrible trick? (I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters. Just my characters and my plot.)
1. Cassy

Hey guys! I'm so sorry about the delay for posting this story. I'll try to update as soon as possible, but I can't promise every day like last time.

Cassy sat in the Ravenclaw Common Room, nose stuck in a book. The Common Room was deserted, everyone exploring the grounds on their first Saturday of school. Cassy, however, had no place to go. No one liked her, and she had no friends. She thought that maybe people wouldn't tease her anymore, now that she might fit in, but sadly she was wrong. No one cared for Cassandra Nightingale.

Cassy never knew her parents. They ran away two days after she was born, leaving her on the doorstep of St. Mungo's. She was later adopted by a kind family when she was five, only to discover that her parents were gone all day, leaving Cassy to the evil clutches of their beauty-obsessed daughter, McKayla. McKayla made Cassy do her makeup, but if it was done wrong, then Cassy was locked in her room all day. What was worse was that McKayla's father was the head of the Underage Sorcery Department at the Ministry, so nobody cared if McKayla tested all of her hexes on Cassy.

The night before the first day of school, McKayla slashed off five inches of Cassy's hair off while she was sleeping. Luckily, as soon as Cassy got onto the train for school, she regrew it until her black ringlets reached her waist again.

"Um, excuse me?" called a voice from the entrance of the Common Room.

Cassy looked up from her book, only to blush and promptly drop it as soon as she saw the figure standing before her.

His name was John Majors. Cassy had heard someone say it on the train. He had sandy blond hair, sky-blue eyes, and freckles dusted across his nose like stars. John had been in the compartment across from Cassy on the train. She had heard him talking to his friends about Quidditch. Apparently he loved the game. Cassy did, too, but nobody knew. In fact, they thought she hated Quidditch, because she didn't have a broom, when everyone else did.

Anyway, Cassy had started crushing on him since the moment she laid eyes on him. Like, crushing hard. Hard like cement. Hard like a cinderblock. Hard like-

"Excuse me?" John repeated.

Cassy blushed even darker, realising that she had been staring at him. "Um, yes?" she asked, bending over to get her book.

"I was told by Headmaster McGonagall to go get a Cassandra Nightingale for the assembly."

"That's me," said Cassy, standing up.

"You don't have to bring your book with you," John said, eyeing Cassy skeptically.

"Oh, um, yeah, I know-" Cassy was cut off as John walked out of the Common Room.

Cassy sat at the very end of the Ravenclaw table, looking up at the Headmistress.

"Eh hem," she called, clearing her throat. "I have summoned all of you here today to talk about a subject that half of the students have been nagging me about for the last week. Quidditch."

A roar swept through the Great Hall, only to be silenced from a stern glare from Professor McGonagall. "Now, for those of you who do not know what Quidditch is, please see Madam Pince and check out Quidditch Through the Ages after this assembly. For the rest of you, I must inform you that tryouts for teams will be held tomorrow. Gryffindor from 10:00 to 11:00, Ravenclaw from 11:00 to 12:00, Hufflepuff from 12:00 to 1:00, and Slytherin from 1:00 to 2:00. That is all."

Professor McGonagall left the stage and walked out of the Great Hall. Right as she exited, another roar erupted in the Hall as hundreds of students made a mad dash for the door. Not ready for the sweeping wave of children, Cassy was knocked down. She gripped her book to her chest as feet kicked at her, not stopping, and not hearing the yelps of pain that issued from Cassy' mouth.

Finally, the crowd cleared, Cassy lay alone on the floor, covered in bruises. She stood up with a groan, legs shaking. It felt as if her arm had been ripped in half, and then shredded.

"My dear, are you all right?"

Cassy turned and saw a woman in white robes looking at her with concern in her eyes.

"No," she replied. "I think my everything's broken."

The woman chuckled. "I am Madam Pomfrey. I'm the Healer. Perhaps we should walk down to the Hospital Wing."

Cassy let out a small smile. She liked this woman. "Okay."

The two walked out of the Hall and out of sight. However, another figure was still standing in the Great Hall, unnoticed. He was going to walk over and help, only shrank back at the sight of Madam Pomfrey.

His name was James Potter.

Hey guys! Thank you so much for reading this story! Please comment on any comments or questions that you have, they are encouraged! :) Smell ya later!


	2. Quidditch Tryouts

Cassy walked across the grounds and to a seat in the Quidditch field, a stick of peppermint clutched in her hand. Madam Pomfrey had given it to her when Cassy had visited that morning. Madam Pomfrey had become very close to Cassy lately. She wasn't like a mother, but more like a very kind aunt. Either way, Cassy didn't feel as alone as she had the day before.

Cassy sat down in the stands. She was the only one here, other than a boy with jet black hair and Gryffindor robes. James Potter. Cassy was too shy to go and talk to him, so she simply opened her book and began reading.

 _What is now known as the Battle of Hogwarts occurred on May 2nd, 1998. It was a great and terrible battle, and I should know, since I was there._

The book was riveting. It was written by Hermione Granger, Cassy's favorite author. She explained every detail as if she was painting a picture. It was amazing.

Cassy jolted as she heard the loud cry of a whistle on the Quidditch pitch. The captain was starting. Cassy wished that she could join them, but people would just make fun of her. No captain would pick an outcast, anyway.

As the tryouts went on, Cassy's mind began to wander, as one's does. She pulled a notebook and quill from her bookbag. She had gotten a self-inking one as a treat for herself in Diagon Alley.

Cassy began scratching on the page, drawing lines here and there, occasionally muttering under her breath. She added little notes along the page, labeling certain sectors of her picture.

"Whatcha drawing?"

Cassy nearly falls off of her seat. She hadn't realised how much time had gone by. She turned and saw John's dimpled face grinning at her.

"Um, just a design," mumbled Cassy.

She tried to hide it in her bookbag, but John was too quick. He snatched the notebook from her hand and examined it, still floating atop his broom.

"That's really cool," said John, handing the notebook back to Cassy.

"Really?"

"Yeah. Are you gonna build it?"

"Well, maybe."

"You wanna go for a ride?" he asked, motioning to the area of the broom behind him.

Cassy pinked. "No thanks, I'm not really up for that right now-"

But John grabbed Cassy's hand and pulled her up to the back.

"John, really, I don't-"

But John zoomed upward, and Cassy let out a small yelp of surprise. As they circled around the pitch, Cassy began to feel comfortable again, recognizing the familiar feelings of the wind rushing through her hair. But suddenly they were going straight for the ground. Her hair whipped around her face instead of blowing casually.

"John! Stop the broom!"

"I can't!" cried John.

Cassy leaned forward, gripped the broomstick handle, and jerked upwards.

The two stopped inches from the ground. Cassy hopped off of the broom, heart pounding. John did the same, the grin having returned to his face.

"That was brilliant!"

Cassy grinned too. "Yeah, I guess."

The two walked out of the Quidditch Pitch, talking merrily. Maybe Cassy wasn't so unpopular after all.

I hope you guys liked this! Thank you for reading and please comment! Smell ya later!


	3. The Lightning Bolt

John and Cassy sat on two squashy armchairs in the Ravenclaw Common Room side by side. The two had talked all day last Sunday about how Cassy would build the broom, and they finally had enough materials. Just in time, too; the first game was in one day; this Saturday.

"How did you get all of these supplies?" John asked Cassy in amazement.

"Hagrid. He was happy to help."

At her feet, Cassy had a very interesting pile. One large, thick branch, bunches of small sticks, a small glass bottle of a clear paste, a paint brush, and a carving knife.

"How are you going to build it?"

"You'll see."

And Cassy got to work. She first to the large branch and began running her knife over the top, littering the floor with wooden shavings.

"What are you doing?" asked John.

"I'm carving the broomstick to the right aerodynamic structure."

Then, Cassy began attaching the sticks to the broom with her wand, then trimming them. Then, she coated the broom in clear paste until it shined like a star. Finally, she began waving her wand over the broom in different patterns, with small, gold sparks raining down upon the broom. Then, she put down her wand and admired her handiwork.

"So, what are you calling it?"

"The Lightning Bolt. Because of its speed and in honor of Harry Potter."

"Cool," grinned John. "Can I try it out?"

"Sure!"

The two walked outside, Cassy holding her broom. On the way to the grounds, they passed Madam Pomfrey. When John's back was turned, Cassy sneaked a grin with a thumbs-up at her. Cassy had told Madam Pomfrey all about her crush on the boy.

The two walked onto the Quidditch Pitch.

"Can I ride it?"

Cassy handed John the broom. "Use very light controls. It should move very easily at your touch. Be careful."

John took the broom and climbed on. With a yell, he pushed off into the air and began zooming around the pitch, becoming a blur. Soon, Cassy can't even see him; he's moving so fast. After a few minutes of dives, loops, and spins, John lands and hands the broom to Cassy, a goofy grin adorning his face.

"I'm gonna take a break and talk to Nicholas, okay?"

John motions to the brown-haired boy walking across the stadium.

"Okay."

John walks away and begins talking to Nicholas. Cassy marvels at her creation. _She actually made a broom._ Soon, laughter carries from the two friends in the stadium over to Cassy. Curious, she walks over to the two. When she hears her name, she presses herself against the wall of the stadium, so not to be seen.

"She's such a dork! I think she likes me!" says John's voice.

"So what are you gonna do now that you have the broom?"

"I'll probably just tell her to get lost."

Cassy turns red. That jerk! He was playing her the whole time! Cassy crawled out of the pitch and started running back to the castle, broom gripped in her sweaty palm. She was wasn't quite done with the Lightning Bolt yet. It needed some tweaking.

John wouldn't know what hit him.

Thank you so much for reading! Please comment any questions or comments that you have! Smell ya later!


	4. Revenge

The Quidditch Pitch was chilly, despite it being the middle of September. The grass was wet with dew on this early Saturday morning, and wind was blowing casually through the trees. It was the perfect day for a Quidditch match.

The stadium was packed with students, all wearing their house colors. The first match of the season was Hufflepuff vs Ravenclaw, and tensions were high. Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff had always had tense rivalry, but it wasn't as well-known as Slytherin and Gryffindor's.

 _Harry Potter crept into the Chamber of Secrets, now alone. He was determined to save Ginny and stop the monster petrifying muggleborns, such as myself._

"I love this book," chimed a girl to Cassy's right. She had on a Ravenclaw scarf, and her blond hair was crimped. She was reading _The Scandal Behind the Spectacles_ , by Rita Skeeter.

"You're reading Rita Skeeter?" said Cassy, eyebrows raised.

"Yeah. I love how she just digs past all of the lies and sugarcoating and tells the truth."

Cassy let out a snort, and the girl frowned. "Rita Skeeter has less truth in her than a boy around veela."

"And who are _you_ reading?" asked the girl snootily.

"Harry Potter: A Biography by Hermione Granger."

"Oh, I hate her. She's so full of herself! And I mean, come on, everyone knows that Harry just blamed the petrifications on that giant snake thingy."

Cassy merely rolled er eyes and turned away. That girl was not worth her time.

Cassy was interrupted from her thoughts as the crowd screamed. The players had rose into the air and begun to play. Cassy kept her eye on John, who was searching for the Snitch. The broom seemed to be doing quite well so far, so Cassy decided to sneak a look at her book.

 _Harry's eyes widened as he saw a figure lying motionless on the floor ahead._

" _Ginny!" he called._

The crowd yelled again. Cassy looked up. John was going into a long dive, only to pull out of it just in time. As he grinned at the crowd, he suddenly slipped off of his broom, landing on the wet grass. The crowd gasped, and Cassy ran out of the stadium to go retrieve her broom. She passed Madam Pomfrey, and gave her a wink. Cassy had told Madam Pomfrey about her revenge the day before, assuring her that no major injuries would occur.

Cassy ran down onto the pitch and picked up her broom.

"Oh no!" she said. "I guess he slipped off. Maybe the broom was too slippery."

"It wasn't too slippery! It bucked me off! Like a horse!"

The team looked at John like he was crazy. Madam Pomfrey rushed over to the scene and examined John.

"Tut. Sprained wrist. he can't play."

"What?! But Madam Pomfrey, we'll have to forfeit without me!"

"Tough cookies, son." And she led him away.

"You there. Quidditch-Hater." said the Captain to Cassy. "You play in his place. Maybe you can operate the broom if you built it."

Cassy shrank back. "Oh, I don't think so-"

"I'll pay you ten Galleons."

How could she say no to that? So she got up onto the broom while the Captain signaled to the ref for time in. The team rose into the air, and the ref threw the balls into the air and the players circled the pitch, while Cassy began to search for the Snitch.

A bludger flew right for Cassy's head, but she dodged it just in time. She really had made the broom right. She moved like a rocket at the slightest touch. It was brilliant.

Suddenly Cassy caught sight of something gold, flitting near the ground. She zoomed into a dive, rushing towards the ground at the speed of light. At the very last second, she snatched at the air and pulled up from the dive. When she opened her palm, in it lay the Golden Snitch, motionless.

Cheers erupted in the stadium. Cassy was numb. She had won the game. And ten Galleons. A grin appeared on her face. She dismounted the broom and walked over to the Captain, who smiled at her, and extended his hand.

"Welcome to the team."

I hope that you guys liked this! Thank you for reading and please comment! Smell ya later!


	5. James Potter

"He's been staring at you for weeks!" giggled Pasha Patil to her best friend, Cassy. "He totally likes you."

Ever since Cassy's performance on the Quidditch Pitch, life had become much better. She had a friend, Pasha Patil, people didn't scowl at her in the halls anymore, and John left her alone, except for occasionally sending her nasty looks in the hallways. And even though she wasn't so alone anymore, Cassy still regularly visited Madam Pomfrey.

"Shut up, no he isn't!"

"Yes, he is! He's gonna ask you out."

"No he won't!"

"Admit it! You have a crush on him."

"I barely know him!"

It was true that James had been staring at her, only to turn away whenever she looked at him, but Cassy didn't have a crush on him. She didn't know him very well, and for all she knew, he could be another John.

"You should ask him out!"

"Why? We're not even friends."

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!"

"What is it, what is it?"

"He's coming over. Right now!"

James was indeed walking over to the Ravenclaw table, a nervous but determined look on his face. He stopped right in front of Cassy and Pasha. Pasha's eyes were wide and she was looking from Cassy to James with a goofy grin on her face.

"Um, Cassy?" he asked.

"Yeah?"

"Do you, um, wanna go to the, erm, Library with me to study tonight after dinner?"

Pasha started to "ooooooooh", but Cassy stepped on her foot and silenced her.

"Sure," replied Cassy. "I'll meet you at the northern corner, the one with the fireplace."

"Okay. See you then."

"Likewise."

And James walked away.

"Oh my gosh!" squealed Pasha. "He just asked you out!"

Cassy rolled her eyes. "Relax, Pash. He just asked to study."

Now Pasha rolled _her_ eyes. "Oh, please. He's gonna make his move."

"Make his move? That's ridiculous."

"You _have_ to tell me all about it."

Pasha handed Cassy a pile of books as she began to walk out of the Common Room.

"I will, but nothing's gonna happen."

"That's what _you_ think."

"And I'm right.

So Cassy waved goodbye and began the walk to the library. The stairs spiraled around and around and around. When Cassy finally reached the bottom, her foot caught on the maroon carpet, and she tripped, sending her books flying into the air.

"Be careful!" chimed a familiar voice.

Cassy got up and dusted herself off, only to see Madam Pomfrey, holding her books in midair with her wand.

"Madam Pomfrey! Thanks! I didn't see you there!"

"I suppose that you didn't see the rug either! What are you doing? I thought you would be in your dorm by now."

"Oh. I'm studying with James."

"James Potter? The boy who's always looking at you when he thinks you can't see?"

Cassy blushed despite herself. "No he doesn't!"

"Sure, dear. Make sure to be back in your dorm in an hour and a half, and have fun!"

Madam Pomfrey handed Cassy her books and walked away, but not before giving Cassy a wink.

When Cassy arrived at the Library, she relaxed a little as she walked to the northern side.

 _You're just overreacting. If James had a crush on you, he would have arrived early and lit candles or something. Relax._

"Hey Cassy! Over here!"

Cassy let out a breath she had been holding as she caught sight of James. To her relief, he did not bring candles, nor did he seem to be trying to "win her over" in any way.

But Cassy hadn't seen the way that James had looked at her before she had seen him. She didn't know that James had fallen hard for her ever since he had seen her, and even more the more he found out about her. And she especially didn't know that he _was_ trying to win her over, in his own clever way.

Thank you so much for reading! I hope that you guys liked this! Please comment anything that you have to say about the story! Smell ya later! :)


	6. The Prank Wars Begin

"So you just studied?" asked Pasha with an air of disappointment.

"I told you, that's all we did."

"Well, I was hoping. . . ."

"What? Did you want us to end up snogging the night away?"

Pasha grinned. Cassy shoved her. "You're hopeless."

"Hopelessly stupid," said a slimy voice to the right of the two friends.

Pasha and Cassy turned to see a tall, black-haired figure. He was somewhat gangly, with extremely pale skin. He could be a vampire, had his sneer not revealed perfect, not razor-sharp, teeth. His name was Lyle Parkinson.

"Oh, please," replied Cassy, defending her friend. "You know perfectly well that you're just being even more of a git than usual because Pasha _rejected you_ last week."

It was true. Pasha had told Cassy all about how Lyle had asked her out, and how Pasha had rejected him, because he was a jerk to everyone but his small group of friends, which included Vanessa Bulstrode and Blake Zabini.

Lyle blushed, filling his icy cheeks with red. "I wasn't quite right at the time. Why else would I ask out someone like _you?_ "

"Oh, maybe because she's kind, funny, and a good person? Everything that _you_ aren't?"

Lyle scowled and stomped away. Cassy grinned at Pasha.

"Point Pasha."

The two walked away and up the stairs to the Ravenclaw Common Room.

"What can travel around the world whilst staying a corner?" asked the sweet voice of the eagle on the door to the Common Room.

"A stamp," answered Pasha.

"Correct."

"Ravenclaws have the least protective security. I mean, anyone can get into the Common Room as long as they're clever enough," said Cassy to Pasha as the door swung open.

"You got that right," whispered Pasha.

The Common Room was covered in toilet paper. It was slung around the staircases, wrapped on chairs; everywhere. Even worse were the eggs. Thrown everywhere in sight, yellow stains covered the walls and ceilings. It seemed that Pasha and Cassy were the first ones to find the mess.

"Merlin's Pants!" yelled Cassy. "Who the heck did this?"

"It must have been Lyle and his crew," said Pasha. "Blake might've been clever enough to figure out the passcode. Then he and Millicent must've done this while Lyle distracted us!"

"He's doing it to get back at you for rejecting him!"

"Should we tell Professor Flitwick?"

Cassy's face burned red with fury. "No. We fight back."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean a Prank War."

Thank you so much for reading! Please comment your questions and comments! It means a lot! Smell ya later!


	7. Hiatus

Hey, sorry guys! I'm putting the story on hiatus for a while, but I'll be back soon!


	8. Cameron Flint

Cameron Flint didn't seem like the guy you would trust. In fact, he looked like a classic villain. HIs greasy black hair was slicked back. His red lips were curled back into a snarl, revealing white, sharp teeth. He didn't talk to anyone, and he was always laughing to himself about something. But no, he wasn't a villain. In fact, he was a good friend of Cassy's, and very excited to help the cause. So as Cassy, Pasha, and her army of Ravenclaws stood before him, Cameron was thrilled.

"Cassy," he said. "You have a plan?"

"Yep," she answered. "We're only pranking Lyle and his group. Everyone else is left alone."

"Good. The password is-" Cameron rolled his eyes, "-"'pureblood.'"

"Ugh," groaned Pasha. "Thanks. We'll be in and out in fifteen minutes. Warn us if Lyle and his group are coming."

"How?"

"Yell, 'I love the new rugs in the common room.'"

"Got it. Wreak as much havoc as you can."

"Gladly."

Casy and Pasha led the group to a moldy, green, damp wall. "Pureblood," said Cassy firmly, and the wall swung open to reveal the Slytherin Common Room, which did indeed have new rugs.

"Alright," said Pasha to the group. "Do whatever you want to the area by the fireplace. Leave everything else alone."

"Got it," answered Blake Chang.

Then, chaos ensued. Foam sprayed from one wand, coating a squashy green armchair. Spiderwebs sprayed from another, completely blocking the fireplace. Soon, the area by the fireplace was in ruins, chairs in shreds and stuffing littering the floor. Charms were put on chairs so that they screamed when sat on, and some cushions punched you in the back if you touched them. It was a dangerous place.

The Ravenclaws stepped back and admired their work. The Common Room was a mess. It was about time that the Ravenclaws left the Common Room when the group heard Cameron say in his oily voice.

"Don't you think the new rugs in the Common Room look great, Lyle?"

The Ravenclaws looked at each other.

"Hide!" hissed Cassy.

And they scattered, hiding behind floor-length curtains, in wardrobes; anywhere that they could find.

The door swung open, revealing Lyle and Cameron, Lyle's gang following closely behind.

"What in the name of Merlin?!" shrieked Lyle, his facing turning red as he caught sight of his common room. "What happened?"

"I have no idea!" Cameron spluttered. He played his part very well. "We should leave and let the house elves clean it up."

"No," said Lyle.

"No?"

"I'm going to get Professor Slughorn. Those Ravenclaws obviously did this, and now each and every one of them will be expelled."

The hiatus is over! Yay! I hope that you guys liked this one! I'll try to update soon. Smell ya later!


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